Pill Organizers For All Your Health Care Needs

Updated on January 9, 2013

What is a Pill Organizer?

If ever the time comes when you need to self medicate every day or at regular intervals throughout the day, then you will definitely need a pill organizer or box to make sure you take your tablet at the correct time. I have a condition called Diabetes Insipudus, which requires me to carry my pills with me on a permanent basis.

I used to just carry around strips of tablets, cutting out about three or four at a time (depending on how long I would be out of the house for), but the time came (as I was going through my teens) when I was away from home for several nights at a time, so I needed to get a pill carrier for my pocket and a larger one to keep at home for my months supply of tablets.

Why Should You Have a Pill Organizer if You Self Medicate?

A pill organizer (also called a pill reminder or dispenser) is an essential accessory for managing your health and personal care needs. Whether you are at home, on the road or just popping out for a few hours (and depending on your personal needs), you need a pill organizer of some description. Why? Because no matter if you have a weekly pill organizer, a bi-daily box or one to last you the month, you are guaranteed never to miss taking a tablet again.

Available in many different types and sizes, pill reminders are useful and often crucial for all types of people. The elderly or people who have memory problems, usually require one because scheduling pills is an important part of their daily routine. By missing a tablet, or even taking too much, could seriously jeopardize their future health. By having a medication reminder, this removes the unnecessary stress which could be associated with trying to remember which tablets to take at any given time.

What if You Have Several Tablets to Take a Intervals Throughout the Day?

No problem. Pill boxes comprise of one big one, or single compartments which you open for dispensing your medication over say, seven days - one compartment for each day. But if you need to take different tablets twice or more times throughout the day, there are also suitable pill dispensers (often electronic) which allow for taking those multiple doses. This feature prevents potential mishaps and ensures that the proper medication (and doses) are taken at the correct times of the day.

A Pill Organizer Prevents Double Medicating

An important feature of this type of an automatic tablet organizer is that they allay any fears of over or double medicating for the individual. This is often the case with Alzheimer's or Dementia patients who may be unsure if they have taken their appropriate tablet or not. So by having a loved one, nurse or doctor sort out their medication for the coming week, peace of mind can be assured by all concerned knowing that this essential part of their health care needs is taken care of.

You see, a patient may be unsure if they have taken a particular dose of tablets and by seeing an empty compartment, they will realize they have already taken that dose. This happened frequently with my Nan, who has both the aforementioned diseases. Thankfully, she is in a care home now and does not need to think of such things but prior to this she lived by herself and her medication was a huge worry for our whole family. That was until my uncle bought her a Medready Medication Dispenser!

Color Coded and Braille Pill Organizers

Pill organizers are also widely used by patients with functional development problems. These types can have braille (for the blind) or be color coded, for clarity of which day it is. This is a wonderful design for people who have problems with their site.

How Many Types of Pill Organizers Are There?

There is a huge array of dispensers, boxes, packs and carriers available for all types of uses.

These are just a few.

7 day locking organizers

AM/PM (day or night) reminders

Monthly dispensers

Multi-boxes

Colored daily boxes

Pocket pill boxes/carriers

Organizers with HUGE letters (for week days)

Alarmed multi day tablet dispensers (these are generally at the top end of pricing)

The 7 day pill organizer is probably the most common because more than the average amount of people who take medication take it on a daily basis. This unit tells you what day to take your tablet on (or the day you took your last one on) because of the printing on the actual compartment/slot. Prices for a seven day dispenser start as little as four dollars and then goes upwards.

Electronic Pill Organizer

Electronic or alarmed pill organizers with timers are a real advantage for anyone who is perhaps a little forgetful or as we've discussed, suffer from some type of memory loss, Alzeimer's or Dementia. They alert the user that they must take their medication at a specific time. These units have been known to save lives because of this feature. Special types of alarmed organizers can be linked via the internet, to medical professionals which further helps in reminding patients they need to self medicate.

Travel Pill Organizer

A travel pill organizer which has removable trays is a great idea if you are planning a vacation or trip away and need to take your medication while you are away. They allow you to store your daily tablets in separate compartments. Once a tray is empty, you know you have already taken your medication for that day.

Other uses for a Pill Organizer

Another great use for a pill organizer is for storing vitamins, if you have healthcare requirements which require you to take regular supplements. Or if you are a health and fitness nut like me, then you will need a safe dry place to store your array of minerals and supplements.

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Comments 2 comments

I love the pill organizer ideas. My mom has 2 health problems. She need to consume 5 different pills for diabetic and 2 different pills for stroke. These little container are great and useful for her. Thanks for this useful hub

fitnesscentral 3 years ago from London Author

@peachpurple, thanks for the comment. They may sound so simple - a plastic box with days of the week printed on them, but you are so right. My nan could not have lived without hers.